Category: Camping

Photos when I get wifi!

No rest for the wary. The boys started stirring before 6am! Apparently they didn’t get the “I’m on vacation and anything before 8am is totally uncivilized memo”. So much for a lie in. Up and breakfast, eggs and bacon, dehydrated that is. As with the last three camping trips this in is also ice free. Mountain House dehydrated food, water, instead oatmeal, snacks and the occasional trip to a local diner for a meal on a real plate with silver wear is how the Quinn boys roll. Also, instant coffee from Starbucks get the over 21 group going.

The boys wanted to go fishing so after fixing JMan reel we heading out.

They lost a few more hook and sinkers and caught the bottom a few times. Both managed to get wet feet and even got his shorts wet. At this rate they will run out of clean cloths by tomorrow.

After fishing we hit the beach. No one around bar us. So far the best question was “dad, do you have conditioner?”. The answer after I picked myself off the ground was “nope, not that type of camping trip”.

After the beach we went up the Cross Vermont Trail. GMan and JMan on bikes and I ran. It was up hill all the way, but just a gradual climb. Mind you it was much easier on my bike last night! 5.8 miles and back to the Verizon Booster area (aka the main gate) for a quick call home.

Lunch, nap, coffee. Kids went fishing again.

No camp is complete without a camp fire.

Dinner from a bag. So far all varieties of Mountain House are really good. 

We settled in early and started listening to an audio book “following atticus” by Tom Ryan. Some of the language is questionable for JMan but given what pops out of my mouth on daily basis its probably refreshing for him to know I’m not the only potty mouth. We managed one chapter and called lights out just before 10pm. 

This year for our annual camping trip we are at Ricker Pond VT. It’s actually in Groton VT so we drove 3 hours north to end up in a town name like the one we live in! Like the last several years this is also a VT State Campgrounds, and like all others this one has all the necessities. 
New this year were opted for a cabin, very fancy indeed. Our cabin site sits on a hill and we can see the pond, but through the tree. The good news is we have absolutely no cell service, but the cabin has one light and an outlet. Jess and the boys got me a set of walkie talkies for Father’s Day and they work just fine out here in the woods. Apparently there is a Verizon buster at the check in office but that’s 1/2 mile away. However, it will do nicely for checking in on the home front. I’m writing this in notes and will upload as soon as I find wifi, which very well could be Friday on the way home.

GMan navigated all the way up with one of those old fashioned paper maps!

We stopped along the way a few times and found a cool car museum with this 3 wheeled car in the parking lot. I wonder could you lay it on side if you went around a corner fast enough. Just happened that JMan and I match the car color!

We also came across a really nice scenic area. Here’s JMan and GMan checking out how the water carved the rocks over all the years.

No camping trip is completed without a trip to Wallie World (Wallmart). JMan was not impressed but changed his tune when we hit the camping/sports area. This is were GMan showed off his skills on a Rip Stickwhile JMan chased him with a baseball bat. All good fun until a store worked said “we prefer you not ride that in the store”. This was well after I suggested an alternative, but we all know how well kids listen.

A while later we got to the campgrounds and proceeded to set up. I read somewhere that camping is where rich people spend a lot of money to live like bums in the woods for a few days. I don’t completely agree but I don’t completely disagree either. As we arrived on Sunday the place is fairly quite. We have some neighbors down by the pond but no one to the left or right. The sites are very clean and our cabin is very suitable for a few days in the woods. 

Here’s a photo of the beach. Well, really a photo of my bike on the beach.

Lights out at 10pm. We had a rolling thunder storm at some point and the noise of the rain reminded me of my great aunts thatched cottage in Ireland where the thatch was replaced years before with galvanized steel. That unmistakable clatter of rain on a tin roof. 

Up and break camp, but first breakfast. JMan with his oatmeal and comic book.

 
GMan smiling it up.  

Breaking camp. JMan took the photos while GMan wrapped up with me.

All done.

Side trip to the First Marble Quarry. Walking around the quarry one gets the sense that one day it was a hive of activity and the next it was gone…….

Lunch in Manchester VT and coffee in Brattleboro VT and finally home. Water from the fridge seems odly strange after four days in the woods! It was a wonderful camping trip and I’m very thankful I had GMan and JMan with me.

We all sleep through the night….up, breakfast and headed to the beach. JMan new found friends arrived and let us borrow a kayak or two for some paddling.

The highlight of the day was some Huckberry Finn style fishing. For bate we used a hollow (coconut) biscuit, a piece of concrete for weight and an aluminum beer can top for a hook. The boys managed to get a few nibbles, but sadly no supper. 

In other news, the local we ran into a few years ago that said we needed to pack GMans belly button with Vasoline when a tick decided set up camp there caught a good size water snake. Where are you now Sr. Patrick!

A quick spin to Rutland for some Ben & Jerry’s is so worth it.

Modern Art 

JMan tending the fire

Late night tooth brushing session.

After a few hours of restless sleep I was out of our tent at 5:15am. Instant oatmeal and likewise Starbucks coffee was breakfast of champions. 

Then back to bed….well cot and sleeping bag to roll around for a few more hours. It was cold, see your breath cold and that’s in the tent.

Back up again at 6:45. Kids were up by 7:30, more instant oatmeal and off to the playground. The kids struck up an instant friendship with a couple of like aged locals and they all horses around for a bit.

Our goal for today was nothing, but I did want a root beer float from the AW Root Beer drive in diner. My GPS said head north and so we did.

We happened upon a nice covered bridge on the way.

  
Guff tug

A while later we arrived at the A&W Drive in.

Yum….

Mean while back at the ranch Mountain House provided dinner again.

   
    
 So far The Lasagna and Meat Sauce is winning.

Another bike ride to the play ground and a quick call home as this is the only spot on the camp site with cell reception….one bars worth. So no data, no email, no surfing the web…ain’t live grand. 
This view never gets old.

  
Either does this one.

 ATMO plug! 

This year we made it camping for Memorial weekend. This year is also JMans first time to make the trip. So far he seems to be doing fine.

Traditional photos on the French King Bridge, Millers Falls MA (on route 2)

  
  
We are headed to St. Catherine State Park in VT….again. This is trip #4 and yes we like it. VT does a good job on their state camps and this one has all you need for a weekend in the woods.

  
Like our last trip we are ice free, so nothing we have requires refredigration. Dinner was care of Mountain House, tonight is Noodles and Chicken (pictured above) and Lasagna and Meat Sause (which we inhaled as we were starved, so no photo).

JMan and GMan approved. After a bike ride to the beach it was time for bed at 9pm or so.

   
Our camp site

29’er right at home in the woods.